Assembly for applying coupons to carton blanks

ABSTRACT

A MACHINE FOR APPLYING COUPONS TO PAPERBOARD CARTONS BY DELIVERING THE COUPONS ONE AT A TIME FROM A SUPPLY STATION ONTO A MOVING DRUM SURFACE, HOLDING THE COUPONS THEREAGAINST WITH REDUCED PRESSURES WITHIN THE DRUM, INTERRUPTING THE HOLDING EFFECT OF THE REDUCED PRESSURE AT A REMOTE TRANSFER STATION, BLOWING THE COUPONS OFF THE CYLINDRICAL SURFACE AT THE TRANSFER STATION, INDUCING MOVEMENT OF THE COUPON TO THE PAPERBOARD CARTON BLANK BY DIFFERENTIAL PRESSURES ON OPPOSITE SIDES OF THE CARTON. AND COVERING THE COUPON AT A MOUNTING STATION WITH OVERSIZED COVERING MATERIAL.

Jan. 16, 1973 ALEXANDER ETAL 3,711,358

' ASSEMBLY FOR APPLYING COUPONS TO CARTON BLANKS Filed lay 4. 1970 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 FIG. 1

//V 5 N 70/?5 Leonard Adams, Jr. y John Alexander new flu Jan. 16, 1973 J.ALEXANDER ErAL 3,711,358

ASSEMBLY FOR APPLYING COUPONS To CARTON BLANKS Filed lay 4. 1970 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG. 2

, /N I/E/V TORS Leo/laid Adams, Jr. John Alexander Jan. 16, 1973 ALEXANDER ETAL 3,711,358

ASSEMBLY FOR APPLYING COUPONS T0 CARTON BLANKS Filed lay 4. 1970 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 //V VE/V 70/?5 Leonard A dams, Jr. By John Alexander A Maw/8W ATTYS.

1973 J.ALEXANDER ETAL 3,711,358

ASSEMBLY FOR APPLYING COUPONS TO CARTON BLANKS Filed lay 4. 1970 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 "1 a 33 (b g Q W 5 Y m l u 4 7 5 1 r 4 9/ V w u 4 of E 4 A a A |.I A v v H 0 Q v b fll 03 8 g.

qlNVE/VTORS 00 Leonard Adams,Jr. By John Alexander United States Patent 3,711,358 ASSEMBLY FOR APPLYING COUPONS T0 CARTON BLANKS John Alexander and Leonard Adams, Jr., Louisville, Ky., assignors to The Finn Industries, Inc., Chicago, Ill. Filed May 4, 1970, Ser. No. 34,253 Int. Cl. B321) 31/20, 31/04 US. Cl. 156571 6 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A machine for applying coupons to paperboard cartons by delivering the coupons one at a time from a supply station onto a moving drum surface, holding the coupons thereagainst with reduced pressures within the drum, interrupting the holding effect of the reduced pressure at a remote transfer station, blowing the coupons off the cylindrical surface at the transfer station, inducing movement of the coupon to the paperboard carton blank by differential pressures on opposite sides of the carton, and covering the coupon at a mounting station with over sized covering material.

This invention relates to a machine assembly as well as to a method for applying paper sheets to planar substrates, particularly for applying paper premium coupons to inside panel surfaces of paperboard cartons. The invention also relates to a carton blank which permits a captured premium coupon to be delivered thereto in an improved manner.

The use of premium coupons in merchandising various products has grown into widespread practice. Such coupons are generally redeemable for cash or cash discounts, merchandise, gifts or the like. Such premium coupons have been packed into folding cartons used as containers for widely distributed products such as toothpaste, shaving cream, deodorants, lotions, and the like. Since such coupons have value it is undesirable to have them inadvertently separate from the carton to which they have been attached or in which they have been inserted. If such premium coupons are separated through accident or pilfered, the promotional and merchandising purpose is defeated. The problem of pilfering is sufiiciently serious to warrant attempts in the art to secure said coupons against this threat. Such premium coupons are commonly mounted within the carton rather than being loosely or partly bonded to the exterior thereof. Even insertion within the carton does not prevent unauthorized removal, and attempts have therefore been made to more securely mount such coupons within the carton.

In general the premium coupons are sealed by covering the coupons with an oversized covering material, such as transparent plastic, or a printed paper overlay and bonding such material along its periphery to the inside panel of the carton. The premium coupon is freely positioned and captured within the oversized covering material and a portion of the carton panel or panels to which said covering material is bonded. The premium coupon may be deposited against the inside surface of the carton blank, and the covering material may then be applied in a conventional Staude Window Machine. A method and apparatus for applying the premium coupon to the surface of the carton blank in an improved manner will accordingly be of value in the art. It will likewise be of value to provide a new carton blank which permits such premium coupon to be applied in an improved manner thereto.

It is therefore one important object of the present invention to provide an apparatus for moving coupons or paper sheets from a supply or storage source to means which can deliver the coupons one at a time to a transfer station where such coupons are transferred to a planar substrate such as a carton blank which passes such transfer station. In particular, this object is attained by providing an apparatus whereby paper coupons are delivered from a supply source, one at a time, to a moving cylindrical surface of a drum which then moves the coupon to a transfer station at a remote point for transfer to a paperboard carton passing thereunder. It is an important feature of this object that the paper coupons are held on the moving cylindrical surface in an improved manner by utilizing differential pressures, and are removed from such cylindrical surface at the transfer station by altering the pressure dilferential characteristic.

Another important object of the present invention provides a method for transferring paper coupons, or the like, in an improved manner from a supply source so that said coupons are delivered one at a time to a moving cylindrical surface having vacuum ports to hold the coupons thereon, and transferring said coupon from the cylindrical surface at a transfer station by altering the pressure differential to said vacuum port. A further feature of importance is to provide pressure differential means with the paper carton, or the like, so that the coupons may be attracted to the paperboard carton at the transfer station.

So another important object of the present invention is to provide an improved paperboard carton having a communicating passageway so as to permit differential pressures to operate for the purpose of attracting the paper coupon at the transfer station following alteration of the differential pressures at the cylindrical surface. The communicating passageway will further allow visual observance of the premium coupon from the outside of the carton, therefore, providing a purpose for said communicating passageway in addition to providing a path for the differential pressures. Another feature of the improved carton provides that the transferred coupon is covered with an oversized material which captures the coupon therein.

In one important aspect of this invention, the premium coupons are applied by utilizing an apparatus in combination with a conventional windowing machine wherein covering materials such as flexible paper or plastics may be bonded along the peripheral edges to the carton wall. Premium coupons or other paper sheets are stacked at a supply station adjacent the moving cylindrical surface of a drum mounted on the Staude Window Machine assembly.

The cylindrical surface has a plurality of apertures or vacuum ports which pass under the stack of paper coupons at the supply station. The coupons are transferred one at a time to the cylindrical surface, in particular, they are moved to an area of the cylindrical surface where a vacuum port is located. Differential pressures are provided between the outside and the inside of the drum so that the paper coupon is attracted to the drum surface by a negative pressure within the drum. The negative pressure is continued so that the paper coupon is retained on the surface until the rotating cylindrical surface moves the coupon to a transfer station, generally about from the supply station.

The communicating vacuum port is interrupted at the transfer station so that the differential pressure is altered. This may be done by closing the vacuum port so that negative pressures within the drum nolonger retain the paper coupon as before. In a practice of the invention, it is further provided that means within the drum additionally facilitate transfer of the coupon from the cylindrical surface. Such means may be a jet of air which is directed through the vacuum port and against the paper coupon to facilitate transfer thereof.

The removed paper coupon is transferred to the surface of a paperboard carton blank which is moved in a linear path below the transfer station. This is accompli'shed in an improved manner by providing pressure dif ferentials on opposite sides of the carton blanks so that a negative pressure below the carton induces movement of the paper blank thereto. A communicating passageway in a panel of the carton blank provides the path for the differential pressures on opposite sides of the carton. A vacuum line is preferably provided with a plurality of aligned outlets upstream or in advance of the rotational direction of the drum, say, about 10-20" from the vertical radius of the drum, or about l60-l70 when viewing the circular cross section of the vacuum drum.

Details of the invention may now be shown in the following disclosure which includes drawings, wherein:

' FIG. 1 is a partly diagrammatic side elevational view of a windowing machine combined with the coupon transferring mechanism;

FIG. 2 is a top plan of the machine shown in FIG. 1, with parts removed;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged side elevational view, partly in section and partly diagrammatic, of an assembly and mechanism for transferring the paper coupons to a carton blank advancing along a conveyor;

FIG. 4 is a side elevational view in section, with parts removed, of the coupon transferring drum showing means for inducing pressure differentials to retain the coupon on the drum surface and to remove the coupon therefrom;

FIG, 5 is a plan view of a carton blank illustrating a premium coupon captured within a covering material bonded to one surface thereof; and

FIG. 6 is a plan view of an alternative embodiment of a carton having a premium coupon captured within a covering material bonded to one surface of the blank.

The views of FIGS. 1 and 2 particularly illustrate a windowing or window patch machine of the type known as a Staude Window Machine. Parts will only be briefly described in'relation to such machine because it. is well known in the art, and the machine as such does not comprise the invention. Such invention includes a frame or support 8 having an entry end defined, in part, by a feed slide 10 and a feed wheel 12. Among the elements mounted on such frame are included an adhesive or glue drum 14 and a window patch drum 16 downstream or at the discharge end of the window machine. Intermediate the feed adhesive and window patch drums is the coupon transfer apparatus or mechanism shown generally as 20. Coupon transfer mechanism 20 delivers and transfers a coupon to the surface of the carton blank; and the window patch drum 16 covers the coupon with an oversized planar material such as paper or film, for example, acetate.

A prime mover or electric motor 22 turns endless chain 24 by means of sprocket gear 26. The chain 24 turns sprocket gear 28 which rotates main shaft 30. The shaft 30 is journaled to a gear box 32 which turns shaft 34 and adhesive drum aifixed thereto. Also fixed with adhesive shaft 34 is sprocket gear 36 which meshes with intermediate idler gear 38. Idler gear 38 translates rotational motion to drum gear 40 fixed to shaft 42. Fixed to shaft 42 is drum 44 which has a continuous cylindrical surface 46. A pair of endless sprocket chains 48 form a linear conveyor path between the sides of the frame 8, and such conveyor moves below the illustrated drums. The. endless chains are driven by sprockets which, however, are not shown. The chains 48 are moved in a linear path at a se- 'lected rate of speed so that a carton blank placed thereon may be brought into register with the various drums on the machine at selected time sequences.

Details of the coupon transfer mechanism or apparatus may be seen particularly in the views of FIGS. 3 and 4. The coupon transfer or vacuum drum 44 rotates between an upper supply or storage station which delivers the paper coupon to the cylindrical drum surfaces, and a lower transfer station which receives the coupon from the cylindrical surfaces onto the paperboard carton blank moving therealong. The supply station includes a substantially rectangular hopper 53 connected to a rectangular storage housing or magazine 54 by a latch assembly 55. The magazine is shown mounted to the frame by a cross mounting bracket 56 supported at opposite ends by side standards 57.

The supply or stack of coupons 60 are introduced into the hopper 53, and such stack of coupons is positioned adjacent the cylindrical surface 46 of the coupon transfer drum 44. The stack of coupons 60 are slightly bent when fed into the magazine 54 so that the coupons assume a slightly concave configuration at their faces which adjoin the cylindrical surface 46 of the drum. The bottom of the magazine has a rectangular opening which is slightly undersized relative to the area of the coupons so that such concavely bent coupons are retained within the magazine until withdrawn by the drum 44.

The coupons are withdrawn one at a time from the% open outlet of the magazine 54 by a frictional retard pad 62 which contacts the lowermost coupon in the stack as the cylindrical surface, with the retard pad afiixed thereto, moves past the open discharge of the magazine. The frictional retard pads which may be formed from rubber, are mounted to the cylindrical surface of the drum in a trailing relationship to a vacuum port or aperture 64. The pressure within the drum is reduced so that the pressure differential between the inside and the outside of the drum holds a coupon, such as 66 against a vacuum port 64.

The negative pressure or vacuum within the drum is formed by means which include a stationary shaft 68 having a plurality of openings 70 communicating with passageway 72 within the shaft. The stationary shaft 68 is concentrically disposed within drum shaft assembly 42 which comprises sleeve pairs 74 and 76 fixed to one side of the drum and rotating about the stationary shaft 68 through bearing assembly 78. The sprocket gear 40 is shown fixed to outer sleeve 74 by set screw 80. The shaft assembly 42 on the opposite side of the drum has a sleeve 82 fixed to the drum, and rotatably engaged to stationary shaft 68 by means of bearing assemblies 84. The pressure within the drum 44 is reduced by creating a partial vacuum in passageway 72 through a pump shown diagrammatically as 86. The pump 86 communicates with passageway 72 by way of conduit 88.

The coupon, such as 66, is carried by the moving cylindrical surface about 160470 from the point where the coupon was picked up at the discharge end of the magazine. The coupon carried to a transfer station which is characterized by vacuum ports 64 moving to a point where communication with the reduced pressure within the drum is interrupted or closed. The vacuum port 64 is closed by a bottom shoe 90 of a stationary arm 92. The

' arm has an annular head 94 secured to the stationary shaft by key 96 and set screw 98. The shoe at the bottom of the arm 92 includes spaced legs 100 which bearingly engage the interior surface of the drum 44, and define therebetween space 102 which is wider than the vacuum port to thereby effectively interrupt or close communication of the vacuum port with the reduced pressure within the drum.

The force holding the coupon to the cylindrical surface is substantially reduced when the shoe 90 interrupts the negative pressure communication. It is, however, desired that the coupon be positively transferred from the cylindrical surface to a paperboard carton moving beneath the drum. Such positive removal is proved by a jet of compressed air which is delivered from compressor 104 along a conduit such as copper tubing 106 which terminates in passageway 108 of arm 92. The outlet of the tubing 106 terminates just above space 102 so that the jet of air may be expelled through vacuum port 64 and against a coupon which covers such a port on the outside of the drum. As shown in the view of FIG. 3, the coupon is transferred about l520 upstream of the radial axis of the drum at 180". The point of transfer is, therefore, at about at the drum surface.

To'additionally facilitate the transfer'the paper coupon from the cylindrical surface 46 to the paperboard carton, a special carton blank is employed having an opening in a panel-thereof. A pressure differential is created relative to the opposite sides of the. carton blank, and this dif ferential is communicated through the carton blank opening. The pressure differentialis illustrated as being as vacuum line 110 positioned between the upper branches of the endless conveyor chain 48. The vacuum line or tube 110 is joined to a vacuum pump (not shown) by connecting conduit 112. The vacuum line 110 is provided with a plurality of outlet openings 114.

Representative embodiments of the paperboard carton blanks with coupon inserts captured within oversized cover materials are shown in the views of FIGS. and 6. Each of the illustrated cartons has a plurality of side panels, and top and bottom closure flaps. The carton blank of FIG. 5 has three rectangular panels 116 and two specially modified panels 118 which form an opening of attractive configuration at the front of the erected box. Top closure flaps are indicated at 120 and bottom closure flaps are indicated at 122. One of the side panels has a communicating opening 124, through which a pressure differential may attract a coupon 126 aaginst a side panel with said communicating opening. An oversized cover material 128 is bonded along peripheral edges to a plurality of side panels. A coupon 126 is freely positioned but captured within the overlying cover material 128.

The carton blank of FIG. 6 has four substantially rectangular panels 130 and the side glue flap 132. Top closure flaps 134, and bottom closure flaps 136, both of various configurations are shown. An oversized cover material 138 is shown bonded along its peripheral edges to the inside surfaces of the side panels. A coupon 140 is captured within the bonded oversized material. One of the side panels has a communicating opening 142 under coupon 140 which covers portions of two adjoining side panels. This carton is additionally provided with a scored portion 144 which has the configuration of a hill. The communicating opening 142 is within the hill towards the rounded top thereof. The premium coupon 140 may be withdrawn from its location between the side panels and the oversized cover material by rupturing the score line of the hill configuration and pulling back the ruptured hill-shaped flap to expose the premium coupon to manual access. It will be appreciated that the premium coupons, or the like, may comprise a single sheet of paper without folds, or folded one or more times. It is only required that the folded or unfolded premium coupon be substantially flat so that it may be conveniently captured between the side panel of the paperboard carton and the oversized cover material.

In operation, a carton blank having a communicating passageway in one of its side panels is delivered in a linear path along the conveyor in timed sequence so that it registers with the transfer station when a coupon held over a vacuum port by differential pressure is likewise moved to the transfer station. The vacuum line 110 may be timed to be activated when the paperboard carton blank moves to the transfer station, or it may be continuously activated. The compressor 104 is timed to emit a jet of air at the time the coupon is delivered to the transfer station to facilitate transfer from the cylindrical surface of the drum onto the carton blank in further response to the pressure differential on opposite sides of the carton. The carton with the deposited coupon is then moved to a mounting station downstream where a drum applies the oversized material.

The spacings of the vacuum ports along the cylindrical surface of the drum are made in accordance with the diameter of the drum so that successive vacuum ports, with coupons retained thereover, are delivered in timed sequence to the transfer station in accordance with the rotational speed of the-drum. While the illustrated em-- bodiment shows three vacuum ports on the drum, each vacuum port having a retard pad in trailing relationship, it should be understood that the number may accordingly be varied depending on the size of the drum, its rotational speed, the rate of speed at which carton blanks are delivered along the linear path, and the like.

The claims of the invention are now presented.

What is claimed is:

1. An assembly for applying a sheet of paper with printed indicia to a planar substrate, which paper sheet covers a passageway communicating opposite sides of said planar substrate, including a drum having a cylindrical peripheral surface, a

plurality of apertures distributed along said cylindrical surface,

a supply station,

means to deposit said paper sheet from said supply station to a portion of the peripheral surface provided with at least one of said apertures so that said deposited sheet of paper covers said aperture, means to reduce the pressure within said drum to thereby provide retention of said paper sheet on said cylindrical surface by action of pressure difference,

a transfer station remote from said deposit means,

means to interrupt the communication of said reduced pressure within the drum through the aperture covered by said deposited paper sheet at said transfer station, and

means to reduce the pressure on the side of the substrate away from the cylindrical surface to thereby create a negative pressure to attract said paper sheet from the cylindrical surface to said substrate at said transfer station.

2. An assembly which includes the features of claim 1 above, wherein said reduced pressure Within the drum is interrupted by means operative to close said aperture at said transfer station.

3. An assembly which includes the features of claim 2 above, wherein said paper sheet is a premium coupon and said substrate is a paperboaard carton blank, and which includes a mounting station, means to move said paperboard carton blank with deposited premium coupon away from said transfer station to said mounting station, said mounting station having means to overlay said deposited premium coupon with an oversized covering which is bonded along its peripheral edges to capture the premium coupon between the covering and the paperboard carton blank.

4. An assembly which includes the features of claim 3 above, and which further includes means disposed at least partly within the drum for delivering a jet of air through an aperture at the transfer station to facilitate removal of the premium coupon from the cylindrical surface onto the paperboard carton blank.

5. An assembly which includes the features of claim 4 above, and which further includes means to hold a stack of premium coupons at the supply station, means to deliver a coupon to said cylindrical surface, said stack being positioned substantially vertical relative to said cylindrical surface, means in said stack to expose one coupon at a time to an aperture in the cylindrical surface moving past said delivery means, said transfer station being located substantially from said delivery means, and a conveyor following a linear path below said drum to present said paperboard carton blank to said drum surface at said transfer station.

6. An assembly which includes the feature of claim 5 above, wherein said mounting station is positioned adjacent said conveyor along said linear path in advance of said drum, and wherein said mounting station includes a drum which delivers oversized transparent covering material to cover said premium coupon and capture said 7 8 coupcm between the transparent covering material and the 3,408,908 11/ 1968 Berkowitz 9361 A paperboard carton blank. 3,370,365 2/ 1968 Vosbikian 9361 A References Cited BENJAMIN A. B'ORCHELT, Primary Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 5 I. M. HANLEY, Assistant Examiner 3,005,565 10/1961 Doane et a1. 156571 U S C1, X R, v

3,138,508 6/1964 Fairest 156-383X 156383 

